In an era that practically cries out for instant celebrity and where the long term is often described as the next quarter, it is worth noting that the winners of the Nobel prizes – arguably the world’s top honor – are often recognized for work that they started 20, 30 sometimes 50 years ago.

And so it is not unusual for Peter W. Higgs, 84, and Francois Englert, 80, to share a physics prize for work done in the 1960s; and Martin Karplus and two other laureates in chemistry to be honored for their work in the 1970s, with one winner remarking that he was being celebrated for work he had done in his 20s.

In most cases, the scientists humbly and honestly said they had no idea that the work they were doing would lead them to Stockholm and in some cases weren’t certain it would lead them anywhere at all.

Higgs, who pronounced himself “overwhelmed” by the honor said that he hoped that his recognition would serve to raise awareness of the value of research for its own sake, even when the ultimate application is far off in the future and largely unknown.

Today the basic research in chemistry that won the Nobel Prize can be seen in applications as different as drug development and airplane manufacture. And the physics research that suggested the existence of what came to be known as the “God particle” had to wait decades for the creation of an accelerator sophisticated enough to prove that the Higgs boson actually existed.

During the flurry of publicity that surrounds the announcement of the Nobel winners, it is useful to realize that the results of a lifetime of labor are often not recognized before that lifetime has nearly gone by. And that the nature of much scientific research requires a leap of faith that it is OK, – even crucial – to start a journey when the destination is nowhere in sight. We salute all the laureates not so much for their grand vision, but for their ability to keep on going even when they don’t know exactly where their road will take them.